Goal!
by zala123attha
Summary: A high profile soccer superstar and an ordinary girl, who met due to an unexpected occurence. amidst the several fan girls and the crazy world of tabloids, will love blossom? mostly ASUCAGA XD
1. Unexpected Turn of Events

**Edited version of Chapter 1 I hope ASUCAGA fans would love this one ^_^**

**(last edited: 12/24/12)**

**NOTE**

**Kira and Cagalli's surnames are Hibiki  
Miguel Aiman is their cousin**

**Chapter 1: Unexpected Turn of Events**

Her arms were crossed in front of her chest in irritation as she sat uneasily inside a soccer stadium. Why was she sitting there in the first place, when in fact, she could've stayed home?

Simple.

Her mother, Via Hibiki, gave her three choices.

a. Stay at home and help Manna do the chores (Because more than half of their maids had the day off).

b. Go along with her parents (Via and Ulen Hibiki) to a ballet recital

c. Tag along with her brother and cousin to watch the PLANTs Soccer play offs.

Of course, the first choice was easily disqualified from her alternatives. That only left the hard decision between B and C.

If she chose B, she might end up sleeping. She didn't really see 'girls wearing tutus and dancing to a slow song' rather ENTERTAINING.

If she chose C, she would be spending the next hour with her two (cough) idiotic (cough) brother and cousin, in a stadium, screaming their lungs out to support whatever team they were supporting.

And apparently, such was happening since she so 'eagerly' chose C.

Yells were coming from different directions. Left, right, up, down. And apparently, some of the loudest came from her left and right—from the right, her brother, Kira Hibiki , and from the left, her cousin, Miguel Aiman. Both were so engrossed in the game, Chanting continuously the phrases "Let's go ZAFT!" and sometimes, "Let's go Zala!" she would often raise her eyebrow once she heard them 'chant' this. What the heck was Zala? And how the heck were they enjoying themselves? The players looked like little ants form where they sat! Seeing that there was no other means of amusement rather than watching the game, she decided to make the most out of it.

"Kira..." Cagalli looked at her brother who was standing from his seat in anticipation. Quite frankly, he wasn't hearing anything. Who could with so many loud shouts from everywhere? Rolling her eyes, she turned to ask her other companion. "Miguel..." But the blonde boy too, was on the edge of his seat.

Infuriated, she huffed and was ready to scream when she noticed that the once chanting of "Let's go ZAFT" turned to angry screams of "Red card!" and "Take that idiot off the field!". Even her two companions, who, just moments ago, had wide smiles on their faces, suddenly had gritted teeth. "Guys? Are you two okay?"

"That bastard kicked Zala!" Kira Hibiki muttered in response.

Cagalli followed Kira's gaze. There were players form one team huddled somewhere while their opponents seemed to restrain one of their teammates from engaging in a fight.

She peered curiously at Miguel, who also had the same angry look "Miguel? What's happening?"

Miguel Aiman, who had heard his cousin, was about to reply; when something unexpected occurred.

Everyone started going over to the field. One of them successfully packed a punch to one of the players, which in turn, made another fan angry, resulting in an ugly exchange of fists. Everything was looking quite scary. People were all going to the field. The Riot patrol was not enough to stop them.

Cagalli, in order to avoid the people who were punching each other near her seat, ran to any safe part she could see. After a few minutes of frantic running, she finally caught sight of the exit. She rushed towards it, hoping to reach it safely

Lady luck was not on her side. Just as she was nearing the exit, she literally found herself in the middle of a brawl. About 10 men were going at it, accidentally blocking her path from all directions. As she tried stepping back, she felt a wall right behind.

She gulped. This was not looking good. Not only did the men block any signs of an exit, the wall made her predicament ten times worse. If the Neanderthals continued with their fighting and shoving, she might find herself pushed to the wall while their fight continued on.

Her knees buckled in fear. It was the first time she experienced something so life-threatening. So threatening that she found herself confessing every sin and thinking of every possible apology to all the people she loved! As she placed both arms on the sides of her head, she braced herself. She was even attempting to guess the amount of pain she would be in.

Just seconds later, she watched in horror as some of the men started shoving their opponents on the wall, a pair was even right beside her! She gulped. She most certainly did not want to experience the beating that the man beside her was having. Her dread continued as more of them continued to crowd towards her, effectively shielding anything from view. She was a short girl, easily unnoticed by the towering men.

Then without warning, she watched as an adult man's body came racing towards her. She closed her eyes; the possible pain she might feel was unimaginable.

Before that could happen though, a warm body suddenly pressed against hers. Cagalli, who was too scared to open her eyes, could feel some thrashing directed towards her—or in this case, them. The stranger was clutching her tightly at the waist, receiving all the pain from the brawl.

After what seemed to be forever, she felt someone pull her away from the wall and into the middle of the soccer field. Feeling that she was far from the fray earlier, the blonde girl opened her eyes to see someone staring straight at her. "Are you okay Miss?"

Cagalli gaped at the said person. She was too flustered to even notice anything other than colors...She was still too fazed to see clearly, and for some reason, she couldn't talk straight. But amidst that, she managed to stutter.

"I...I-I'm fine…"

"That's good to—" He was suddenly cut off. Cagalli could hear as her 'saviour' seemed to be struggling.

As the noise of the arena finally registered, she realized that the man who saved her from utter pain was gone.

She didn't even get to ask his name. All she remembered…was the dark shade of blue.

Still in total shock, she tried stranding up and was relieved to hear two familiar voices.

"Cagalli! " Kira Hibiki shouted as he literally pushed aside everyone blocking his way. He immediately hugged her tight, obviously relieved. "What happened to you? Are you alright? Gosh! We were worried!"

"Hell yeah he was worried!" Miguel added as he placed a hand over Cagalli's head.

Cagalli smiled at her brother and cousin's antics. Now that she was with them, she felt more ate ease—amidst the fact that they were standing amongst people practically ripping each other's head's off as they speak. Placing a hand over Cagalli's shoulder, Kira eyed the exit. "Let's get out of here!"

* * *

I was about to make the goal to finish off the game. I quickened my pace, preparing to make the winning kick-Until someone suddenly kicked me in the shin. Before I knew it, I had already hit the grass on all fours.

Before I could recover, I could already hear the audience in the uproar.

...

I knew this wasn't going to be pretty.

"Athrun? You alright buddy?!" Dearka Elsman , our Goalie, was the first to approach me.

I merely nodded and tried to stand up with his help. As if the anger of the fans was not enough, the other team had to hit one of our players again! Yzack, along with Nicol and some others made their way to the said fight to stop them. But as they did, someone from the stands suddenly made his way to the field and punched the player who kicked my shin earlier.

This triggered the riot to begin. People started running to the fields, obviously angered by the brutish behaviour of the other players.

Our team made its way to the nearest exit. Unfortunately, a brawl was happening there too. The whole field was packed with people punching each other.

"Dearka! lead the team to the other exit! I'll be looking if there are still others!"

"Sure! C'mon Yzack!"

"What do you think I'm doing?"

I quickly scanned the whole place, hoping that none of my teammates were caught in any fight. As I finally decided to head for safety, a group of men caught my eye.

They were fighting near a brick wall, some of the men already pushed against the wall as they received punch after punch. I may be hallucinating, but I swore that a girl was against the wall too. I made my way towards them, shocked that indeed, their she was cowering amid the brawl.

The people, who were apparently, pummeling each other to death, couldn't even notice how close they were to harming her. From where I stood, I could clearly see that she was too scared to move. Turning back, I ran towards the affray and made my way towards the girl. As I reached her, she had her hands at the sides of her head. Before I could come any closer though, the brawl had already escalated. Men were being pushed right where we were.

My eyes widened as a large man's body came tumbling right towards her. Without much of a thought, I ran towards the scared figure and wrapped my arms around her; just in time too. The man had just hit both of us, effectively crushing us against between him and the brick wall.

I felt the impact of the man's body in full force. His back had hit mine forcefully. If the wall was not there, I would've toppled over. More thrashing happened as I effectively protected the girl from being crushed. I couldn't help but imagine if this girl would survive the crushing force I was feeling now. My back was starting to ache as the idiots continued punching the man behind me, not caring even if me and this obviously frightened girl were in the way.

It seemed like it was never going to end, my back was ready to give up. I managed to look at the girl in my arms who was still trembling in fear. I was glad when the idiots paused for a moment-maybe they got tired or one of them just gave up-I immediately carried the girl with me while I examined the surroundings in hope to find a safe place to settle in. I pulled her body tighter and carried her towards the open field. She still had her eyes closed. I guess she must've been really scared.

"Are you okay miss?"

I didn't get an answer immediately. She slowly opened her eyes after I asked and it seemed like she wanted to burst out crying. But she didn't. Instead, she managed to stutter in reply. ""I...I-I'm fine…"

I smiled. It was a nice feeling being able to help someone out; let alone save them. "That's good to—"

I was about to finish when two pairs of arms were suddenly hooking my elbows. I heard one of them shout my name before being literally dragged away. I could only blink continuously as the girl disappeared from sight.

My eyes widened at this realization.

What will happen to her? She's a girl for pete's sake!

Struggling relentlessly, I managed to break free from Dearka Elsman and Yzack Juole's grasps. I detached myself from them and realized that it was in vain. I was already inside the protected locker room, away from the riot. I couldn't help but glare at my two friends "What the hell was that for?!".

"We saved your butt Zala!" Yzack retorted angrily. The rest of the team could only watch as we exchanged some heated words. After all, they rarely saw me angry.

"I didn't ask to be saved!"

"You could've gotten mobbed out there Athrun! You were standing like some civilian in the middle of the soccer field! So don't you get angry at us!" Dearka too, added. He was quite serious, a far cry from the typical Dearka everyone knew.

I was fighting a losing battle. Sighing, I slumped myself on the steel bench, clasping my hands on the sides of my head in frustration. "I know…but…that girl!"

"What girl?" Nicol Amalfi, who was actually listening, asked.

"There's this girl I saved. She's alone out there again!" It surprised me how much I cared for this strangers welfare. It was something along the lines of survivor's guilt.

"That's just another one of your fan girls Athrun." Heine Westenfluss, who just emerged from the showers, said as he opened his locker.

"I don't really care…You should've seen how scared she was." I could remember how it felt when she was trembling as I held her. How she looked so scared to even move. Yet for some reason, I couldn't remember a thing about how she looked.

"Athrun Zala you wolf! Do you have the hots for this girl?!." Dearka said along with a grin, only getting a glare from me in response.

"Kidding! just kidding!" He chuckled before continuing. He knew very well not to piss me off when I was stressed. "Knowing people here, she might've reached the exit already. Quit worrying!"

Amidst Dearka's attempt to comfort me, I still couldn't shake off the feeling of worry for this girl. I was sure that the image of her trembling form will never leave my head until I finally see her safe and sound. It's as if I've placed a personal responsibility for her on myself.

My frustration only increased when I realized that there were thousands of blondes in the PLANTs alone.

…How the heck do I find her now?


	2. Great Just Great

**Chapter 2: Great. Just Great.**

"Didn't you know what could've possibly happened to the three of you?" Ulen Hibiki stared down the teenagers who were sitting uncomfortably on the couch.

Via Hibiki could only watch as her husband scolded the three. She too, was upset after hearing the news of a riot breaking out. Being the good mom that she was, she left the scolding to her husband, knowing full well that such was enough of a punishment already.

Kira, being the oldest among the three of them, tried to look at his father, attempting to save themselves from further scolding. "I'm sorry dad. It was really unexpected."

Miguel too, added. "Yeah uncle. And besides, We didn't get hurt."

"But you COULD'VE! " Again, Ulen Hibiki retorted. "What if something bad happened to your sister?"

"I'm fine dad…It wasn't Kira and Miguel's fault that a riot happened.." Cagalli, who finally found her voice, assured their father.

The middle aged man could not think of anything to answer back with. He was glad that none of them were harmed, but was still too overwhelmed by the fact that the three were involved in such a major accident. Sighing, he sat himself down beside his wife. Her presence often calmed him when he got too angry or stressed. "The next time you go to a game, take Kisaka with you."

"WHAT?" the three shouted in surprise.

"But dad!" Kira was the first to complain. "Kisaka's like a hawk!"

Miguel, who had seen how the Hibiki's private bodyguard worked, too wanted to complain. But he had no guts to do such a thing. Ulen Hibiki was way too intimidating.

"Either that or you're banned from going to any of those games anymore!" Via Hibiki too, supported her husband's order. Her voice was stern—a sign that she was actually quite angry.

With this, the three could only nod. Their mother rarely joined in whenever they got scolded. How could they still argue after the tone she used?

Now that the deal was done, Via and Ulen prepared to leave. They were already running late for a meeting. "Now Kira, We'll be out late so don't go out unless you ask for permission okay?"

Kira nodded in reply. "Sure mom. Have a safe trip."

His mother nodded and both proceeded to board the car. As they finally left, the three teens slumped themselves on different couches, obviously dismayed by their parent's ultimatum.

"Just great…" Cagalli mumbled as she turned on the TV. This did not go unnoticed by both Kira and Miguel, who found Cagalli's dismay weird.

"Um…Cagalli…why are you so mad about this? I thought you hated going to games?" Kira looked at his sister suspiciously.

"Yeah. I'm actually quite surprised." Miguel too, added.

"I just need to check on something back at the game."

"…." Kira did not know what to take from such an answer. "I don't really understand but..okay." He turned his attention to the TV, afterwards stealing the remote control from Cagalli. Cagalli could only roll her eyes. Kira with the remote meant hours of glorious sports channels. Knowing that she was going to be bored out of her mind anytime soon, she decided to be a good sister and asked the two if they wanted some snacks.

The two boys immediately raised their hands and smiled. "Me!"

As she made her way to the kitchen, the two finally found something interesting to watch.

The evening news showed the remnants of the riot. Shoes, caps and garbage were scattered all throughout the stadium. Barricades were pushed to the ground and some vandalism could be seen on some walls. "Woah. What a mess!" Miguel couldn't help but blink twice.

Kira nodded. "Yeah. I wonder how they'll clean that up for tomorrow's game?"

As if on cue a reporter appeared, brining news that any sports fan would dread. "This indeed, has been an unexpected turn of events. Because of this riot, the commission heads have decided to delay the championships for 2 months to make way for cleaning up."

"WHAT THE HELL?" The two boys screamed in fury.

Just as they were about to break the TV in two, a follow-up came. The screen showed their favourite team leaving the arena, several bodyguards surrounding them as they did. A flood of cameras were surrounding them, making one wonder how the players managed to walk straight with all the bright flashes directed at them. The news camera then zoomed in towards a blue-haired player who had his back turned. "It had been reported that ZAFT elite's star player, Athrun Zala, acquired a minor injury due to the kick he received form the opposing team. The commission is still deciding whether to suspend the said player or not…"

"What the heck? Zala got injured?" Kira cried out in protest.

"They should suspend the freakin bastard who kicked him!" Miguel was agitated, as if the one hurt was a dear friend of this.

Cagalli, who could hear the two boy's outcries, sighed. Once she got back, she found the two cursing at the innocent television. "Idiots. Don't take it all out on the television."

"But they just announced that Zala was injured!" Kira said as he looked at his sister.

Rolling her eyes, Cagalli placed several bags of chips on top of the coffee table, knowing that the two boys won't be eating a anytime soon. They would probably spend half an hour expressing their outrage. "How important is this Zala of yours anyways?"

Upon hearing this, Miguel had a huge smile on his face. "He's the best in their team. The one who racks up almost all the points!"

"Really? He was at the game a while ago right?"

"Yeah. He's actually being interviewed.." Kira, who was intently staring at the screen, joined in.

Just as Kira said this, the reporter's face suddenly entered the screen once again. "Oh…..you just missed him!"

"Guess I'll have to see this idol of yours in tomorrow's game."

"You'll have to wait for two more months sis." Kira said as he slumped back on the couch.

"Why's that?"

"Game's delayed for two months." Miguel continued as he changed the channel.

Irritated, she sat back on the couch and glared at the screen. "Great…just great!"

* * *

"I have some good news, and some bad news." Andrew Waltfed announced in all seriousness as soon as his team finally assembled. The whole team, who curiously looked at him, remained silent. Until that is, Dearka Elsman asked aloud, "What's the bad news coach?"

Their coach sighed dramatically, as if death had happened today. "Our star player's injured."

The whole team looked cheekily at Athrun, some even copying the coach's earlier expression. Everyone let out a small chuckle as Dearka gave Athrun a noogie.

"That hurts Dearka!" Athrun was struggling to pry of from Dearka's grasp. The whole team could only watch in amusement.

"Awww….our poor Athrun!" the blonde said as he continued irritating the blue-haired boy.

"It's not even an injury coach. It doesn't hurt anymore!" Athrun explained after finally making Dearka stop.

"It's not even an injury coach. It doesn't hurt anymore!" Athrun explained after finally making Dearka stop. It was true. He did not consider a bruise on his shin as 'injured'. The media can be way too dramatic sometimes.

"You and your modesty Zala." Yzack commented as he gave Athrun a sneer.

"Shut up Yzack.." Athrun mumbled as he went back to sitting down on the couch comfortably (before Dearka savagely attacked him).

"Okay people settle down. Now for the good news!" Andrew Waltfed smiled and looked at his team; obviously excited for the announcement "They're delaying the game for two months! So that means, we can have MORE rest and practice time!"

The whole team rejoiced and started chattering in excitement. After months of harsh training, this was the break they longed for. But Athrun remained seated, his face showing that of irritaion. Nicol Amalfi was the only one who managed to notice this. "What's wrong Athrun?"

"It's nothing." The blue-haired coordinator said as he stood up to leave the room.

Nicol could only watch as he did. Yzack and Heine too, noticed this. "What's up with him?" Yzack asked to no one in particular as they watched Athrun leave.

"Is he still going on about that girl?" Heine too, asked.

"Yeap." Nicol could only sigh. Their captain was too worried.

As he left the room, Athrun couldn't help but scratch his head in frustration. Now he had to spend another TWO MONTHS worrying about someone's welfare.

He had thought that the blonde girl would show herself to him at tomorrow's game. Maybe she would thank him or something-he didn't really care; as long as he knew that she was safe. But now, due to the cancellation, his unease would certainly last longer than expected.

"Great. Just Great."


	3. Noise

**This is an edited chapter! I've made a few changes (like the inclusion of a new character)  
I hope those who are backtracking would take time to read this again.**

**CHAPTER 3: NOISE**

Click.

"The committee is still debating over what to do about the play-"

Click.

"Protesters have been complaining nonstop about the apparent 'pardon' granted towards the player that injured ZAFT Elite's Athrun Za-"

Click.

"Athrun Zala seems to be in better con—"

Click.

Click.

"Tonight's guest, Andrew Walfeld of the ZAFT Eli—"

Click.

"We think it's only fair to suspend that nasty player for hitting our Ath—"

Click.

"I think Ath—"

Click.

Click.

Click.

"The championship game will be further dela-"

Click.

Cagalli turned off the TV, her face showing obvious irritation. It had been a month since the unfortunate riot caused by Athrun Zala's injury, yet the media just couldn't take their eyes off of it. The blonde girl was getting sick of all the news about this 'Athrun Zala' guy. His face was everywhere!

For a moment, she had actually thought that quite possibly, this Athrun Zala was her saviour. After all, Midnight blue hair was not that normal around the PLANTs. But then again, what idiot would go back in the middle of a dangerous riot that he, himself caused? Such logic immediately killed her earlier theory.

Sighing, she decided to have a short nap, enjoying the rare peace and quiet around the Hibiki Household; but as if on cue, Kira Hibiki's voice rang all throughout that living room, immediately prompting her eyes wide open.

"CAGALLI! GREAT, GREAT, GREAT NEWS!"

Cagalli slowly sat up, glaring at the new comer. Standing behind him was their cousin, Miguel Aiman. Both boys had wide grins on their faces—a sure sign that the two were up to no good.

"…What do you want?"

Both men made their way to the couch, forcing Cagalli to sit up as they squished her in between, making sure that she had no escape. She of course, was well aware of this.

The two boys were too overjoyed by their news that they still had smiles on their faces amidst the deadly aura Cagalli somehow emitted. "You know where uncle and aunt often go to nowadays, right?" Miguel started excitedly.

"To the new resort that's being built?" Cagalli raised an eyebrow. She had no clue where this conversation was heading to.

"Yeah! That one!" Kira clapped both his hands, giddy with excitement. " You know what we found out from one of the waiters?".

"That you two are both idiots? Yeah, I kind of knew that for a while now.."

The two boys, amidst the obvious insult, only continued, not a bit fazed. Actually, Kira's smile grew wider. "Well, you also know that the ZAFT Elites are currently on a break right?"

Cagalli nodded. She had a feeling she was not going to like whatever they were about to tell her.

"And that they're hiding from the public right?" Miguel added.

Cagalli nodded, actually quite surprised that she knew that. Well, who could blame her? She practically had a Athrun Zala crash course all thanks to the ever dependable media. "

As the two boys flashed Cagalli the most widest smiles, said in unison.

"THEY'RE STAYING AT OUR RESORT FOR A WEEK!"

Miguel was doing a happy dance while Kira seemed to be fist pumping uncontrollably. Both men were so overjoyed that they failed to see the bored and confused expression on Cagalli's face.

Interrupting their happiness, Cagalli stood up, crossing her arms as she gave the two a suspicious look. She, in no way could understand why they felt the need to tell her such a thing. "And I am part of this...why?"

This time, the two boys looked nervous. Miguel was finding the soft cushion beside him more interesting to look at while Kira was finding it hard to look at her in the eye.

She was growing impatient. Also, the two's behaviour only added to the fact that she certainly will not like what she was about to hear. "Speak up."

Kira was the first to gather his nerves, giving Cagalli a shaky smile. "I…I mean, WE know you hate parties."

"Glad to hear you actually know that" Cagalli replied with a grin. "And so what If I hate parties?"

Kira gave a nervous chuckle before continuing. "But you see…the ZAFT Elites are gonna have this welcoming party at the resort and…" he nudged Miguel, making the other boy jump in surprise.

The blonde teenage looked at his cousin and the two began a mental fight as to who would continue. After a few glares and whispers here and there, Miguel gave in. "Um…we were pretty sure you wouldn't go…"

He nudged Kira again, but the said man merely stayed silent. Miguel sighed before continuing. "But dear cousin, if you wouldn't go, we're not allowed to go to! That's why…"

Cagalli raised her hand a bit, signalling him to stop. She knew what they wanted. She was actually quite surprised that they had the guts to ask. But like they said, she hated parties—more so parties with people she didn't know. "Save it, I'm not going."

"But Cagalli…" Miguel whined. He had thought that she could at least think about it, but he had underestimated his cousin's stubbornness.

"I don't like parties. I don't like soccer. Why should I go?" She had thought for a moment that going might allow her to finally meet her 'hero'; but after applying her theory about Athrun with the other players, it was quite impossible.

Kira, who was unusually silent, looked up towards Cagalli in all seriousness. Such a thing bothered not only Cagalli, but Miguel as well. "Cagalli, I didn't want to resort to this, but you leave me no choice."

Cagalli looked at her brother oddly, Miguel doing the same. He had not remembered talking about this with Kira. Their final strategy was to grovel and cry, but it seems his cousin had another plan up his sleeve. A slight tension filled the room as all eyes were now on Kira as he fiddled with something on his cellphone. After a few seconds of waiting, a video started playing.

"What the hell is tha—" Cagalli's eyes widened. It was her in bed, sleeping soundly as the camera slowly approached her. In the background, one could hear Kira snickering.

Miguel was watching carefully. He had never seen this video. "What's happening?"

As if answering his question, they heard Kira talking once more in the video, asking Cagalli a question. "Hey sis! Who do you like?"

There was a pause as Cagalli shifted in her sleep before muttering some incoherent phrase. But one familiar word stuck out, making Cagalli blush tomato red as she hears herself speak. "Ah..med."

Cagalli looked mortified. This was her deep, dark secret that none of her friends or family knew! But here it was, caught on video! She glared at Kira, her face red from embarrassment. "What the hell Kira? This is blackmail!"

"You like ahmed? But he's your best friend!" Miguel, who was too shocked by the sudden revelation, ignored her angry outburst completely.

Kira, who had lost all the tension in his body, smiled at his sister, obviously happy because he knew they they've won. "Go with us and I'll erase this video for good." He was dangling the phone, as if showing Cagalli how much power he had at the moment. "So, is it a yes?"

Glaring daggers at her brother, Cagalli mouthed a "Yes" before starting a pillow fight with the two men, hell bent on hitting the two where it would certainly hurt.

* * *

"Seriously? All to ourselves?" Dearka Elsman was ecstatic. This was the first time in months they were having a vacation and such news only made it better.

"Yeah. They're just opening and were kind enough to cater to us first before going public. They even allowed us access to the whole resort!" Andrew Waltfeld explained to his team in excitement. They had just finished training and were resting at their locker rooms when he suddenly entered, brochures in hand."Anyone against it?"

"HELL NO!" The whole team shouted in reply.

"Are you sure that we're alone in the resort?" Yzak Juole spoke up. It all seemed too good to be true; which made him quite suspicious.

"I told you, we're the only ones there! It's a huge place! And we can do our practices there. I already fixed our sudden disappearance from the public." Andrew said with a sheepish grin. "We're telling them that you're all with your families!"

"At least we can finally have some privacy!" Heine Westenfluss said as he elbowed Athrun jokingly. "This guy here can't seem to escape the spotlight!"

"Not my fault, okay?" Athrun replied with a chuckle. It was true though. Ever since the riot, he had photographers sleeping outside his house. Even mundane activities like getting his newspaper elicited flashes of cameras so early in the morning. "It'll be nice to get away. Even for a week."

"When will we be going?" Shinn Asuka, who was in his usual fould mood, asked.

"Tomorrow there's going to be a party to welcome us. The least we can do is attend. I mean, they gave us the resort for a week!"

"You do have a point there." Dearka said as his thoughts drifted to the resort once again. "This is so great!"

"Well then, everyone rest up! Tomorrow we meet at my house. Nobody should be late okay? Don't get yourself caught by any of the paparazzi!"

Everyone nodded and proceeded to their locker room, Athrun trailing behind. He had a smile on his face which went unnoticed by a few of his teamamtes.

"You look happy Athrun!" Nicol Amalfi, who had just caught up to him, looked at the man curiously. It had been a while since the team saw Athrun so calm and relaxed.

"I am. It's just a relief to be able to get away."

"Then this is some blessing! Just enjoy the next week. It'll be good for you!" Nicol said as he proceeded straight to his locker.

Athrun could only smile once more. This was his much needed vacation. This was the escape he needed—away from the prying eyes of the public.

Before his thoughts could go on any further, a shout from the showers got his attention.

"Hey Athrun!" It was Dearka Elsman.

"What?" Athrun shouted back. "Is there a problem?"

"Who owns this strawberry shampoo? This is a disgrace to mankind!"

"I don't know! I think it's Yzak's!"

"GO TO HELL AND BURN ZALA." Another shout came from the showers.

"Is this really yours Yzack?"

"YOU WANT TO DIE DEARKA?"

"You two are so noisy! pipe down!" Heine, who was also lying on the steel benches, interrupted.

They all started arguing, filling the whole room with shouts, laughter and a myriad of jokes.

Athrun could only shake his head. His teammates were too rowdy at times.

With the noise around him, his thoughts were soon brought back to the similar scene a few days ago, when he bravely (or in his friend's terms dumbly) went back to save a girl in the middle of an on-going riot.

That girl had never left his mind.

Athrun could only groan

…_That girl is giving me a headache._


	4. A Close Encounter

**This is the edited version of chapter 4!  
I reread the chapters and realized that this fic deserved more quality writing  
than I have given the last 2 chapters ! So I've rewritten it a bit, but the story's  
still the same ;) I hope you guys still like it~**

**CHAPTER 4: A CLOSE ENCOUNTER**

_8 PM_

The ZAFT elites and several associates related to them were gathered at the newly built resort owned by the Hibiki family. The said family had prepared a party to welcome such esteemed guests. There were only a number of women inside who were ages away from the young soccer players that looked ravishing in their suits. Some older men were present too, most of them chatting animatedly with the soccer players.

In the middle of this, two young boys were busy ogling every ZAFT Elite inside the room.

"Look! It's Dearka Elsman!" Miguel eagerly told Kira, trying his best not to make his voice sound so loud. The blonde boy had a huge smile on his face."And there's Heine Westenfluss!"

"And there's Nicol Amalfi!" Kira too, began pointing at the said soccer players . "Look! By the buffet! Yzack Juole with their other midfielder!"

Cagalli Hibiki groaned as she stood beside her two cousins; who were too 'star strucked' to notice how stupid they looked. Sighing, she decided to do the honour of telling them. "Um…you two do know that you're both looking like idiots."

They nodded and continued with their star watching, unfazed by the insult. Instead, they were too busy searching for their favourite player. "Where's Zala?" Miguel questioned as he looked around. "Is he still injured?"

"Nah. I don't think so. Maybe he's not coming…" Kira replied as he too, looked around. "I want his autograph so bad…"

Cagalli rolled her eyes. Because she was blackmailed into going, she hated the party all the more. Kira still had the video in hand, so she couldn't really say no. She had tried stealing his phone, but Kira had miraculously placed a password on his whole gallery—it made her wonder if he had other videos for blackmail in his cellphone.

As they continued standing there, a voice behind them suddenly came from behind, making the three jump in surprise. "He's late, but he's coming."

Kira and Miguel slowly turned their heads. Their eyes widened as soon as they saw who was standing behind them. The man was wearing a black suit like everyone else, but what distinguished him was the scar across his face. And Kira and Miguel, being the fanatics they were, knew of this 'scar faced man'. "A-Andrew W-walt-f-felt?"

Cagalli raised an eyebrow. "Andrew what felt?"

The man chuckled and looked at the three, extending his hand He was quite amused by their reactions. "Yeap. In the flesh." And you kids must be?"

Taking his hand, the three introduced themselves.

"K-Kira H-Hibiki. Son of the o-owner."

"M-Miguel A-Aiman. Their cousin."

"Cagalli Hibiki. Daughter of the owner."

Andrew Waltfelt's smile grew wider at the blonde's way of answering. He immediately sensed that the blonde girl had no interest in soccer whatsoever_._"Oh! So you're the three kids Ulen talked about just moments ago! Nice to meet you! And sorry to eavesdrop but, I see you're fans of soccer?"

"OF COURSE!" The two said in unison. Startling the older man. Cagalli on the other hand, was used to it.

"We're hard core fans! We support the ZAFT elites 100%!" Kira said as he lost all shyness and told the man face front. "Yeah!" Miguel continued. "We were in the game when the incident happened! But that only increased our support for the team!"

"Well thank you very much! Glad to hear that! Since you and your family lent us this resort before its opening, would you like to meet the team?"

Kira and Miguels hearts stopped beating for a moment. It was as if their long years of prayers, wishing and hoping all came down to that moment. Both boys looked at the older man in utter shock. Unsure if they were dreaming or not. "Seriously?" Kira was first to snap out of the trance.

The man nodded. "Well, they won't bite! But Yzack..well…anyway, would you want to?"

One cannot describe the happiness that the two boy's faces showed. "HELL YEAH!"

"C'mon then! The whole team's over there!" Waltfelt said, dragging Kira and Miguel (who happily obliged) with him. But as he looked back, he saw the blonde go the other way. "Not going Miss Cagalli?"

"No thank you Mr..um…What felt?"

"Waltfelt." Smiling in response. "You okay alone? I can ask someone from the team to accompany you."

"It's alright! Really." The blonde girl smiled. She fund it much more of a hassle if the man gave her an 'escort'. "I'm not really that familiar with soccer…so I won't really appreciate meting them as much as those two."

"Well...okay then. But I'll still introduce you to them sooner or later! It'll be something new for them!"

"New?"

Chuckling, he looked at the blonde and said, "New because you're the only girl I've met in a party with celebrities that DON'T want to meet them!"

"Not that I DON'T! but it's just-"

"No need to explain! See you later then Cagalli!" Andrew said before he left along with Kira and Miguel, who were grinning once again, like complete idiots.

Chuckling at the man's comment, she decided to slip away from the party, now that Kira and Miguel finally got what they want. She never liked parties—it was a waste of time, form her point of view. As soon as she reached one of the French doors leading to the beach, the blonde immediately left the said place.

The beach was a few minutes away from the party, which Cagalli was thankful for—at least the party's loud songs won't disturb her as she plans to relax by the seashore. Finally reaching her destination, she could barely see anything. As soon as she felt water hitting her feet, the blonde girl smiled.

Sitting on the seashore, she didn't mind if part of her dress got her, the silence by the sea was far better than any party.

Everything was so serene.

Until…

"Gah!"

An unfamiliar shout came from the nearby trail just meters from where she sat. 

* * *

"Great..I'm late!" Athrun said through gritted teeth as he fixed his tie with his right hand, and held the steering wheel with the other. Trying hard to concentrate on the road.

Why, of all people, was Athrun Zala, a very responsible man, late? Well, blame it on Meer Campbell.

Just as Athrun was getting ready, she visited him at his condo and was apparently followed by the media. They weren't even an item but Meer wanted to show the media that they were. After an hour of escaping the cameras and reporters in front of his abode, he brought Meer back to her mansion. But before he could speed off, she bugged him about his destination. Minutes later, he finally escaped her questioning and he drove off towards their meeting place.

But much to his surprise, the whole team left minutes ago. Sighing, he decided to drive directly towards the resort.

He couldn't enter from the gate because it was already locked. Knowing their coach, he forgot to tell the guard that one of their players was coming late.

Sighing, he decided to pass through the back of the resort. The man on guard instructed him to walk down the trail and head towards the beach. Once there, he would see another trail which would lead to the hall where the party was taking place. But he had to navigate in the dark…_oh joy._

Thanking the man, he carefully walked the trail. It was dark alright. He even found himself almost tripping on some parts. But just as he reached the 'trail' near the beach, he tripped on a stone, sending him flying face first on the pavement. "Ah!"

While he cursed under his breath for such dumb luck, an unfamiliar voice started to come from the beach, alarming the said boy for a moment.

"Is anyone there?"

Thinking it was his wild imagination; Athrun hoisted himself up and dusted away all the dirt on his suit. As he did so, the dark haired coordinator suddenly jerked his head up upon hearing footsteps slowly closing in. He gulped, fearing that it might be something supernatural. "W-Who's there?"

He tried catching a glimpse of the said person approaching. But alas, amidst his coordinator genes, his eyesight gave no definite picture. It was too dark. As much as he tried, all he could tell was that it was a girl. "Are you an employee here?"

"Technically." She answered, surprising Athrun.

Not wanting to further their small talk, he decided to go straight to the point. "Where's the ZAFT Elites party?"

"Just follow the trail. It's the only building around here with the lights turned on." She answered. Athrun nodded and mumbled a 'thanks' before making his way towards the party.

Cagalli watched as he walked away. "What idiot would get lost at this resort?" she mumbled as he was out of earshot. Rolling her eyes, she decided to go back to the beach. She planned on staying at the said place until the party would come to an end. 

* * *

"Look who finally decided to show up!" Dearka Elsman shouted as soon as Athrun opened the doors to the building that the stranger pointed to. His other teammates smirked at his arrival, crowding him to greet the said player.

"What took you Athrun?" Heine Westenfluss asked, hitting Athrun's back playfully.

"Meer Campbell. " Athrun sighed as Nicol handed him a drink. "I'll tell you the details later."

"Mister VIP as always Zala."

"Yes, I'm glad to see you too Yzack." Athrun smiled, knowing that Yzack was actually worried.

"ATHRUN! Glad you showed up!" A loud booming shout came from the other side of the room. All five boys watched as their coach approached them.

"Sorry for being late coach." The blue haired boy was getting ready for a scolding of some sort, but was surprised when the older man remained smiling.

"No problem. Anyway, I'd like you to meet some people" The said man pointed behind him.

Athrun moved his head, looking past his coach, only to see two starry eyed boys staring straight at him.

"Athrun, this is Kira Hibiki And Miguel Aiman. Kira's the son of the owner and Miguel's his cousin." Andrew gave them an informal introduction as he pulled the two boys to stand in front of him. "Kira, Miguel, Here's Athrun Zala."

Athrun, not minding the stares they gave him, extended a hand and smiled. "Nice to meet you."

Kira took the first initiative and shook his hand, gripping it hard. Athrun flinched, but nonetheless, bared it. "H-hello Mister Z-zala! I've b-been a big fan for almost your whole career! I'm so g-glad to finally meet you!" He shook Athrun's hand continuously, refusing to pull away. Athrun just smiled in response, glad to hear Kira's flattering words. "Thanks for the support."

Miguel, seeing that Kira had his turn, pushed his cousin out of the way and took Athrun's hand, shaking it profusely. "Mister Zala! I'm glad that I'm actually touching the hand of the greatest soccer player of all time!"

Athrun smirked, flattered once again for such a comment. "Thanks."

"Hey! I thought I was your favourite!" Dearka whined upon hearing Miguel.

Miguel ignored him and continued to revel in the presence of his idol.

Seeing that both boys somehow got their wishes, Waltfeld decided to butt in. "Okay, now that all of us know of the other, Let's party!" he shouted and the whole team agreed, Nicol merely nodding as he found no fun in partying, opting to sit down and watch as his teammates danced animatedly. Athrun did the same, not in the mood to do such a thing.

Everyone partied as the room somehow turned into a club. Kira and Miguel were having the time of their lives.

"I've never met fans like them before." Nicol said as he and Athrun sat on one of the tables, the music making it difficult to converse. "They seem to support our team all out amidst anything."

Athrun nodded and smiled, taking a bite from the food just served before him. "To think fans like them still exist. I actually find it more flattering to have fanboys than fangirls."

Nicol chuckled At Athrun's words. "Careful Athrun, someone might overhear."

This earned a playful shove from Athrun, only furthering Nicol's chuckle. "Anyway, are you excited for this week?"

"Yeah. I can't wait to sleep in and lounge around."

"Same here." Nicol smiled back. They watched as Kira, along with Dearka, began doing backflips and what other stunts, making the boys go even wilder. "Oh yeah…which reminds me…"

"Yeah?" He turned to look at Nicol, a goblet in his hand.

"Have you met Kira's sister?"

"He has one? Then why isn't she here?"

Nodding, Nicol took a sip from his own goblet and thought aloud, remembering what occurred moments ago. "Coach told us about her and he thinks she's pretty different." He chuckled. "She didn't go deranged over us 'hot' men surrounding her."

"Well, she IS different then." Athrun replied with a smirk, surprised that there was still a girl that existed that didn't go gaga over them soccer players.

"I saw her a while ago but I don't know where she is now…" Nicol continued on, once again, trying hard to remember. "All I know is she's some blonde…."

_BLONDE? _Athrun's eyes widened. The word 'blonde' had oddly became quite taboo for him.

"Athrun? You okay?" Nicol asked, seeing his friend's dazed look.

"Y-yeah."

"Okay then. Excuse me for a moment…I'll get some more food for us." He then stood up and disappeared towards the buffet, on the way, being ambushed by Dearka and Heine to dance along with them.

Athrun, on the other hand, was too deep in thought.

…_Blonde? Could she possibly…_

_But she's not some 'deranged fangirl'!_

…_why would she even watch if she didn't like soccer?_

…_._

_I'm having a headache again._

**Sorry for the not-so-sweet chapter ^^  
like I said, this was a transition chap ^^  
but asucaga will be coming up in the next few chaps~!**


	5. Fate

**I hope you readers would like this Christmas gift! :) Finally, an update after who-knows-how-long years! **  
**Please do bear with the story's slow pace, but it's gonna get more eventful after this chapter! **  
**Merry Christmas everyone! :) Happy Reading ^^**

**CHAPTER 5: Fate**

Cagalli awoke to find the whole mansion silent.

…Which only meant two things:

1) Kira and Miguel are still asleep

2) They're already out to stalk the soccer team.

Cagalli was leaning on the former. After all, she was forced to become the designated driver after the two boys got too wasted from the party last night. The whole team already left when she came back, only to see Kira and Miguel snoozing at one of the tables as several of their waiters looked at them worriedly. It took almost 4 of them to help Cagalli into loading them into her car. Yes, she used the word 'loading' to imply how much of a dead-weight the two were last night.

Yawning, she made her way downstairs. The smell of breakfast from the kitchen immediately made her mood turn chipper. If there was one thing she couldn't resist, it was Mana's pancakes; her lips smacked in anticipation as she neared the Kitchen's large opening.

But her happiness immediately flew out the window when she saw her father's right hand man, Kisaka.

Kisaka's presence often meant three things: (Yes, she liked making lists of things in her head)

1) Her father had to relay an urgent message/instruction to them.

2) They're in trouble

3) He is to escort them somewhere boring and formal.

Quite frankly, she could never tell.

"Good morning Miss Cagalli." The older man greeted as he watched the blonde descend from the stairs.

"Good morning Kisaka." She greeted back, one of her eyebrows raised in curiosity. It seemed as if Kisaka wasn't that serious. It relieved Cagalli a bit. "Can I help you with anything?"

"I need to relay a message from your father. Is Kira and Miguel home?""

Cagalli chuckled to herself._ One out of three_. "I think they're too drunk to even stand up. Want me to wake them up?"

Kisaka sighed. He can only imagine the amount of scolding the two would get if their father found out. It was pure luck Via and Ulen Hibiki didn't come home the night before. "Well then, I'll have to tell them later."

The two made their way to the kitchen. Cagalli immediately took a seat upon seeing a pile of pancakes already prepared for her on the table. Beside it was a glass of apple juice—chilled—just the way Cagalli liked it. "Eat up Kisaka!" She had said in between mouthfuls of pancakes.

Kisaka helped himself, chuckling at the girl's lack of finesse. "Miss Cagalli, you do know that the team is staying in your family's resort for the whole week."

She giggled at the memory of Kira and Miguel's faces upon hearing such news. "Kira and Miguel was ecstatic. But I doubt their team would enjoy too long. It gets boring in there."

"And that's where you, Kira and Miguel come in." Kisaka suddenly grinned at her.

"…What? I don't get it. What's that got to do with me?"

* * *

The Pacific Leisure Resort was vast. It had almost a hundred homey villas, accessible via routes that can readily accommodate hordes of their future guests' cars. The pale orange buildings easily contrasted the lush green grass which lay below it. Located at a deserted part of town, the resort offered calm and relaxation in every corner, ensuring that amidst the bustle of the city, here was a haven. Everything seemed so picture perfect.

…until the loud engine of a car swept through every street, destroying the tranquil ambience.

Cagalli was going at 80 kilometers per hour, way beyond the 60 km/hr speed limit that their city strictly enforced. Upon entering their resort, she drove even faster, her anger evident.

She was pissed—beyond pissed even. She did not expect to spend part of her summer babysitting a bunch of soccer players.

"_HELL NO." _

_This was Cagalli's immediate response after Kisaka calmly (and in full detail) explained why she, along with Kira and Miguel, had to act like hosts to the ZAFT Elites. Her parents ordered Kisaka to instruct the three teenagers to make sure that the whole soccer team would enjoy their stay in their resort—thus; they would need to be with the said team for most of the days._

_Cagalli was outraged—it was written all over her face. _

"_I knew you would say that." Kisaka had another mischievous grin on his face. He, along with Mr. Attha, had expected Cagalli's sure protest. Thus, they had prepared 'plan B' in the form of a brochure which he then handed to Cagall. _

_The blonde girl raised an eyebrow as she reached for the folded papers. Her eyes widened as soon as she read the title of the brochure. "Hotel and Restaurant Management Convention: A Week of Orientation about Possible Techni—" Before she could even finish the long forsaken title, she gave Kisaka a glare. Obviously, whatever plan that he and her father concocted was triumphant._

"_What can we do with the team?"_

_The older man smiled in victory and began explaining all the activities that their resort had to offer. Cagalli could only curse at such a stroke of luck._

After a few sharp turns here and there, she finally reached the team's villa. Obviously, her parents are sucking up to the famous team by giving them the classiest Villa at the resort. She shuddered at the thought of having hordes of social climbers inside their resort once it's finally open to the public.

As she left her car, she couldn't help but imagine how she would act. Would she be the normal, deadpan Cagalli who didn't really care about other's businesses; or a stereotypical blonde girl who would squeal at the most mundane things?

"No way am I turning into a dumb bimbo." Cagalli rolled her eyes. She grabbed a bunch of lunch sets from her car's trunk and made her way towards the large oak doors. After ringing the doorbell, she tapped her foot impatiently. The two large bags of food she was carrying weren't light. If she had a choice, she would have left it at their door to discover it themselves. But no, Kisaka also had that planned out.

"_What if I go to the villa, but actually do nothing?" _

_Kisaka shook his head in amusement. "Cagalli, what are CCTV's for?" _

At that thought, she looked up. In one corner, she could see a camera aimed straight at her. Cagalli glared at it, as if it was Kisaka she was doing it to. "I hate you so much right now you big jerk."

While thinking of all the possible ways she could get back at Kira, Miguel and Kisaka, 10 minutes have already passed and nobody was still getting the door. She had rang the doorbell around 5 times, hoping that one of them would finally answer and she could leave as soon as possible. Impatience finally aking the best of her, the blonde girl opened the door and found it unlocked. She rolled her eyes. "I should've done this earlier."

The whole villa was actually empty. It was a mess, but everyone seemed to be out. After a few minutes of walking while lugging around a large bag of food, she decided to leave it in the kitchen. "They're gonna find it sooner or later." She thought to herself mischievously. As she made her way to the front door, her phone started ringing.

Taking it out her pocket, her face scrunched up in playful irritation as a message from Kisaka flashed on her screen.

"_Our offer still stands Cagalli."_

With that simple threat, Cagalli Yula Attha immediately turned back and decided to search for the whole team. It didn't take long to find them though. From where she stood, she could see several figures running around the large garden through the windows of the living room.

* * *

Andrew Waltfeld chuckled as his team playfully matched against one another in a light match. It was a relief that all of them were coordinators. After all, with all the alcohol they consumed last night, it was expected for a normal man to suffer from a hangover. There were some casualties though. Da Costa, Athrun and Aeoul were still asleep. They apparently went out playing until 4 AM with Dearka, who was now being too hyperactive (or so Andrew thinks. He could never really tell with that kid).

Seeing that his kids (he liked calling them such ever since they were rookies in training) were not stopping to play anytime soon, he decided to leave them be with their fun. After all, after this one day break, they would go non-stop with strategy planning and intense muscle training.

As he turned to go back to the villa for some coffee, Dearka's shout suddenly pulled him back in.

"Coach! Watch out!"

He had effectively dodged, barely missing the ball by an inch. If he had not turned in time, he was sure to get hit behind his head. "Woah! Careful fellas!" The man chuckled as he watched his whole team running towards him. This was odd. Were they that concerned for him?

"Guys, I know you love me and all but—"He stopped after realizing that all eight men had worried looks on their faces. Yet they weren't directed at him. Actually, they were looking past him. Turning around to see what the commotion was possibly about, his eyes widened afterwhich his hand covered his face in light frustration. "Well this isn't pretty" he had managed to mumble before letting out a sigh.

* * *

"Look what showing off that stupid kick of yours did." Someone's pissed off voice was what first greeted Cagalli as she felt herself waking up.

"I didn't mean to kick it that hard!"

"Didn't naming it 'Ball buster duo' actually describe how strong it probably is?" another voice chimed in with the earlier conversation. Cagalli was getting nervous. None of them seemed familiar. Also, she was having difficulty opening her eyes.

"That—yeah, that's probably right…but that's beside the point!"

"Why the hell did you aim for coach's direction anyway?" The same voice from a while ago asked once more, obviously more pissed than he was earlier.

"I didn't mean it! I swear! I just got the angles all wrong this time. The kick was a work in progress."

"Kudos on the kick though." Another unfamiliar voice joined in. From what she could tell, they were already indoors. The mattress she was lying in seemed to be like that of their villas. At least that was one assurance of her safety.

"Thanks bro!" The two made a resounding high-five. (She swore she heard the pissed off guy mumbling 'idiots' as they did).

Trying hard to open her eyes again, she found one hurting more than the other. She could not recall what exactly happened to her. The last she remembered was walking towards the team's coach before completely blacking out.

"So…What do we do with her?"

Cagalli froze. What exactly did these guys want?!

"We could just leave her here you know." The pissed off guy said with a bored tone. She was really starting to dislike that guy.

"We have to wait until she wakes up." The third guy sounded genuinely concerned. "Who is this girl exactly?"

"Coach said she's the owner's daughter." The noisy one had explained. She could feel the guy sitting on the mattress she was lying on. "She's pretty cute don't you think?"

"Anything's cute to you, idiot." 'pissed guy 'commented dryly. "I'm leaving. This is a waste of time." The said man left without much of a care; slamming the door a bit as he left.

"Someone's being too much of himself today." one of the guy's chuckled.

The other did the same, only a lot louder. "You know how much he hates strangers."

The two continued to talk, not even noticing or even feeling how much Cagalli was struggling. In her first attempt to sit up, the pain immediately pinned her down. Her eye was throbbing quite painfully. Seeing this, she decided to let the pain subside before doing anything else. Also, she found it awkward to wake up while the two were too engrossed in talking. At that moment, all the blonde could do was to squint, trying hard to open her eyes through the pain.

"What are you two up to?" Cagalli cursed at her dumb luck. As if two strangers weren't enough. Another newcomer came, adding to her awkward predicament.

"Waiting for her to wake up." The noisy one answered like it was the most normal thing in the world. "I hit her face with a ball."

…_Well that explains it. _Cagalli was grumbling internally. Her right eye was literally throbbing. How strong was that guy's kick?!

"How many times have I told you Dearka. You will never get any of your kicks famous." He heard the newcomer sigh. Finally, she had a name to match the noisy man's voice.

"Negativity, pure Negativity." She hear Dearka reply playfully.

A few jokes here and there were exchange while Cagalli continued with her struggle. Finally, after a few minutes, she had managed to open her left eye. Blurry images met her upon doing so, as she saw the colors yellow, blue and orange surrounding her.

"Oh! She's waking up!" She could see the yellow and blurry spot excitedly moving around. She assumed this was 'Dearka'. "Heine! Get her some water!"

"Sure." The Orange spot disappeared slowly, leaving the two others still hovering over her.

"What kind of kick did you use?" The newcomer had asked in almost a whisper. Cagalli couldn't help but grow nervous. Did it really look that bad?

"…the ballbuster".

She heard a faint slap which she assumed was the newcomer slapping himself in the face in frustration. "Dearka…"

Before the two could continue talking, Cagalli had tried sitting up. Using both her elbows to prop herself up, she instantly regretted doing so after feeling like the room was spinning a. Slowly but painfully, she had tried opening her right eye with little success. Her vision was still hazy, but she could tell that the blue and yellow dot was watching her the whole time.

Just as she thought things couldn't get any more embarrassing, déjà vu suddenly hit her when an all-too-familiar line rang through her ears.

"Are you okay Miss?"

She stopped for a moment, midway from sitting up completely. That same line and that same voice—she clearly remembered it. There was no mistaking that indeed, this was really him. Turning her head as to make sure, she was met with a barely recognizable blur of a blue and yellow spots once again. Only this time, the blue spot had triggered a memory inside her.

_After what seemed to be forever, she felt someone pull her away from the wall and into the middle of the soccer field. Feeling that she was far from the fray earlier, the blonde girl opened her eyes to see someone staring straight at her. "Are you okay Miss?"_

_Cagalli gaped at the said person. She was too flustered to even notice anything other than colors...She was still too fazed to see clearly, and for some reason, she couldn't talk straight. But amidst that, she managed to stutter._

_"I...I-I'm fine…"_

_"That's good to—" He was suddenly cut off. Cagalli could hear as her 'saviour' seemed to be struggling._

_As the noise of the arena finally registered, she realized that the man who saved her from utter pain was gone._

_She didn't even get to ask his name. All she remembered…was the dark shade of blue._

Cagalli's heart pounded. Slowly, her left eye was seeing clearer. She could only sit there while gaping at the two colors before her, not exactly sure what the two strangers were thinking. For sure, she must be looking like a fool or worse, a fan girl gone mute by their mere presence.

"…Hey. You alright?" Another color added to her vision, and this was a tint of flesh that was waving right in front of her. She could already tell that the man, Dearka, was trying to get her attention. But for some reason, she wanted to wait for her vision to clear before doing anything.

A few more tense seconds, and finally, she could see more clearly. Rubbing her left eye for good measure, she slowly raised her head to look at the two men once again.

She saw the two men looking oddly at her. The blonde man was giving her an amused look while the blue-haired man beside him just looked plain confused. All the more confused when Cagalli seemed to be staring right at him, her other eye partly closed.

Before anyone could say anything, the blonde had already pointed to the blue-haired man, her face slowly showing that of shock and realization.

"You're the idiot who saved me!?"


End file.
